The abortion debate is not about when life starts. Here are some relevant questions, taken from the wiki-entry:
"Ethical question regarding abortion usually include:
Are embryos, zygotes and fetuses “persons” worthy of legal protections?
Yes. Just because they are not born makes no less of a person undeserving of legal protection
Should the potential to be a person give embryos, zygotes and fetuses a right to life?
An unborn human is a person with
much potential not a potential person because the unborn. 1 day born child has less capacity than a 1 day old calve in regards to mobility for example, but who would say calves have more of an inherent right to life or greater worth than an unborn child?
Does a fetus gain rights as it gets closer to birth?
No. A fetus has the same rights at conception as it does closer to birth for the reasons established above
Does a woman have an absolute right to determine what happens in and to her body?
A baby is in her womb but it is not part of a woman’s bodyl the baby has its own uniqye DNA and genetic code and that would be possible if the baby was part of a woman’s body
Is abortion acceptable in cases of rape, incest, or contraception failure?
Is abortion acceptable in cases where the fetus is deformed?
Rape and incest are terrible but why should a child die fro the crime of a father? Why would the violent act of abortion help a woman if she has been subject already to a violant act of rape?
Is abortion acceptable in cases where if the pregnancy were to continue, it would pose a direct threat to the life of the mother?"
Dr John Crown, an eminent oncologist has said, ‘I don’t think I ever had a case where abortion was necessary
to save mom’
Most cases where the mother’s life is claimed to be in danger if she carries on with pregnancy she can be treated without an
abortion taking place, but unfortunately on many occasions where the mother can be treated, doctors recommend abortion
Study has shown pregnant women can have
chemotherapy and it will not cause complications
There are cases in the medical literature of abdominal ectopic pregnancies that have survived and yet abortions are done for ectopic pregnancy
It is difficult to ascertain if there truly is any illness that put the woman’s health so at risk that continuing pregnancy would kill her if she continued with pregnancy. There are also many things which people consider threats to a pregnant woman’s life but are not really life threatening if treated properly. Threats like preeclampsia which can be treated with early delivery or bed rest; eclamplsia has similar treatment as preeclampsia but may require c section; placenta previa can be life threatening but with proper medical management both mother and unborn child can be protected; placental abruption can be treated; a pregnant woman with cancer can be treated with chemotherapy while the baby tolerates
Taney court in 1856 said Black slave babies were not persons. Now the law says the unborn are not persons